This type of mushroom was very expensive when Jiang Hai was young. He remembered that pork cost just a little over four yuan per pound at that time, while this mushroom was sold for five yuan per pound. Since then, he had wanted to eat this mushroom almost every year.
However, it had been many years since he last had it. This is because the mushroom has a very short picking season, starting in mid-July and ending at the end of August. Moreover, the growth conditions are extremely harsh. It only grows in mountainous areas, where the temperature must not exceed 32 degrees, and the humidity must reach 85%.
As people's dietary preferences increased, the price of this mushroom, known for its excellent taste, also fluctuated. Additionally, the mushroom contains polyols, which are beneficial in fighting cancer and treating diabetes.
This also elevated its status. Furthermore, it cannot be cultivated, so its price has always been high.
Jiang Hai hadn't eaten it for quite some time, and now, seeing it, he couldn't help but feel his mouth watering.
Although these mushrooms were just for work and the price was steep, he decided to buy them all.
"Young man, why did you buy so many mushrooms?" Just as Jiang Hai finished packing up the mushrooms, an old man walked over from a distance, looked at him in surprise, and asked curiously.
"Uncle, are you Chinese?" Jiang Hai couldn't help but be stunned when he heard the old man's pure Mandarin.
"Of course! 99% of the people who come here to buy things are Chinese," the old man chuckled in response.
"Haha, that's right, uncle! Let me tell you, this mushroom is called pine mushroom, a wild mushroom, and it's very delicious." Hearing the old man's words, Jiang Hai smiled awkwardly but still introduced it to the old man.
"Oh? I've eaten this kind of mushroom before. It tastes really good, but eating it causes diarrhea," the old man recalled with some apprehension.
"Of course, there's a layer of skin on it that needs to be removed before you can eat it," Jiang Hai smiled and continued. The old man seemed to be deep in thought, as if he didn't know this.
After buying the mushrooms, Jiang Hai paused for a moment before buying a few iron stick yams, which he could eat and play with when he got home.
After purchasing these items, he was about to head to the checkout, but was stopped by the old man again.
"Young man, you bought so much sauce, rice, and mushrooms. You must be from the Northeast, right? There are little stupid chickens in this store. Why don't you buy a few?" The old man chuckled, looking at Jiang Hai.
"Stupid chicken? Is it reliable? Are there stupid chickens in the United States?" Jiang Hai asked. The term "stupid chicken" refers to free-range chickens in rural homes, typically not fed with commercial feed but foraged from the wild. These chickens are usually smaller and leaner, with firmer meat and almost no fat, making them taste great. Although Jiang Hai didn't like chicken much, he missed the taste of free-range chicken since coming to the United States.
"Hehe, these chickens are special ones brought over from China by the store owner and raised here in the U.S. What do you think?" the old man said, sensing Jiang Hai's doubt.
"Oh? Then I'll take a look," Jiang Hai's eyes lit up. If these chickens were indeed brought from China and raised here, they should taste much better.
Although chickens are commonly eaten in the U.S., they don't compare to the small, flavorful chickens from China. U.S. chickens tend to be large and bland, more often replaced by turkeys that are fat and tough. They are mainly consumed during Thanksgiving and Christmas. Outside of these holidays, people don't typically eat much chicken, and farmed chickens are also large and flavorless.
After chatting with the old man, Jiang Hai moved to the fresh food section of the store. In addition to sea fish and beef, the store also sold river fish. In the U.S., river fish are abundant, but few people catch or eat them, making it a bit of a nuisance.
The river fish here are large and of good quality, though. Jiang Hai, tired of eating sea fish, felt a sudden craving for river fish. However, he didn't plan to buy any. According to Robbins, river fish are a problem in the U.S., so there's no need to purchase them when they can easily be caught from a nearby river.
Jiang Hai glanced at the chickens and nodded. Unlike typical U.S. chickens, these had many colors, and the rooster's comb was clearly developed. The chickens weighed about three pounds.
"This chicken looks good; I'll take a few," Jiang Hai said, picking three chickens and a basket of eggs. He didn't need anything else. The store wasn't too far, and he could come back for more later. Soon, he'd be taking his driver's license test, and after that, he could come whenever he wanted. With his items in hand, Jiang Hai headed to the cashier. The total was over $300, which was ridiculous, but he didn't mind. He had to buy them, no matter the cost.
"Uncle, aren't you buying anything?" After checking out, Jiang Hai noticed the old man still hadn't purchased anything. The man had been walking around the store, encouraging him to buy so much, yet he hadn't bought a thing himself.
"Me? This store is run by my son. What should I buy?" the old man replied, leaving Jiang Hai speechless. But he couldn't say much—it was all about personal choice. If he hadn't wanted to buy these things, he wouldn't have been persuaded to do so.
Jiang Hai smiled at the old man and carried his items out.
"Hey, boss, why did you buy so much?" Robbins, who had been waiting outside, was shocked to see Jiang Hai coming out with a large pile of goods.
"Nothing, just some things from my hometown. Sometimes I miss the flavors of home after eating Western food," Jiang Hai chuckled in response.
"If you really want to eat, you can go to the Chinese restaurant in town. The food there isn't bad," Robbins suggested, but Jiang Hai shook his head.
After being here for so long, Jiang Hai had tried Chinese food at a local restaurant. Unfortunately, the food there was made to suit local tastes, which had distorted the original flavors. He had even tried a small Chinese restaurant in Winthrop, where nearly every dish had ketchup in it, which was hard to accept.
"You don't understand. Wait until I cook it myself, and you'll see," Jiang Hai said with a smile.
Robbins scratched his head, still confused but trusting Jiang Hai as the boss. He started the car, and with a roar, they headed back to Jiang Hai's ranch.
The drive took about an hour and a half on the way there, but on the return trip, they arrived in just over an hour, without slowing down or taking detours. At the entrance to the manor, Bob George and Burke Dahler were checking on the horses. The horses selected by Robbins were of excellent quality, and Burke was doing a final check to make sure everything was in order.
"All these horses are fine!" As the car pulled up, Jiang Hai leaned out of the window and spoke to Burke.
"Boss, no problem," Burke nodded in confirmation. Old Bob's horses were well-known in the area, and Burke had been working with him long enough to know that there wouldn't be any issues.
"Great. I'll put the stuff away first. The largest horse is mine, and you can take the rest," Jiang Hai said, smiling at Bob. He then motioned for Robbins to drive the car in.
Once inside, Jiang Hai unloaded the items, storing the guns and bullets in an empty wardrobe in his room. His room had four farm cabinets, but he only had a few clothes, leaving some of the wardrobes empty. Now he had a place for the guns, with the bullets stored separately as Ross had advised.
After putting the guns away, Jiang Hai headed downstairs to store the food in the refrigerator.
The last task was to take care of the chickens. However, just as he was setting up the chicken coop, the two dogs surrounded him.
"Go away, these are my rations, not yours!" Seeing the hungry gleam in the dogs' eyes, Jiang Hai kicked them away and shouted.